9 Types Of Logos For Brand Design & Strategy (44 Top Examples)

Summary

In this video, Stephen Houraghan from BrandMasterAcademy.com discusses 9 types of logos crucial for brand strategy. He explains how logos attract customers and enhance brand memorability. The video covers brand marks, word marks, abstract marks, mascot logos, combination marks, emblem logos, dynamic marks, letter marks, and letter forms. Houraghan emphasizes the importance of simplicity, attractiveness, distinctiveness, timelessness, relevance, and memorability in logo design, suggesting that a professional approach is key to creating a logo that effectively represents a brand.

Takeaways

• 🔑 A logo is a critical visual element of brand strategy that sets the tone for brand expression and experience.
• 🍎 Brand marks or pictorial marks use symbols to represent a brand and are often chosen by startups for their descriptiveness.
• 🔠 Word mark logos use strong typography to convey brand identity, focusing the brand name front and center.
• 🎨 Abstract logo marks use geometric forms to express brand uniqueness without a recognizable image.
• 🐔 Mascot logos use illustrated characters to personify the brand and communicate with the audience.
• 🔄 Combination marks offer flexibility by combining pictorial marks and word marks, providing options for different uses.
• 🏆 Emblem logos use crests, badges, or seals to communicate traditional values and are often used by established brands.
• 📜 Dynamic marks adapt to different branches or segments of a brand, maintaining consistency while allowing for variation.
• 📘 Letter marks or monograms use initials to represent a brand, often chosen for their simplicity and memorability.
• 📐 Letter forms are single-letter logos that can become the preferred logo over time as brand recognition grows.
• 📈 Memorability is key for logos, which should be simple, attractive, distinctive, timeless, relevant, and professional.

Q & A

What is the primary role of a logo in brand strategy?

The primary role of a logo in brand strategy is to attract attention, increase memorability, and evoke recognition, which helps in communicating the brand's identity from the very first touchpoint.

Why are brand marks or pictorial marks popular among startups?

Brand marks or pictorial marks are popular among startups because they help the market understand what the brand does quickly, either through the brand name or by representing what the brand offers visually.

What are the advantages of using a word mark logo?

Word mark logos have the advantage of placing the brand name front and center, making it easy to recognize. They can also be designed with strong typography that aligns with the brand's strategy and attributes.

How do abstract logo marks help in expressing a brand's uniqueness?

Abstract logo marks use custom-made geometric forms that allow for creativity and flexibility, enabling brands to showcase their brand personality and uniqueness without relying on recognizable images.

What is the purpose of using mascot logos in a brand strategy?

Mascot logos use illustrated characters to add personality to a brand and can embody the brand's attributes. They are effective tools for communicating with the audience and can take on human personas to engage directly with consumers.

Why are combination marks considered a flexible option in logo design?

Combination marks offer the flexibility to combine the visual aspect of a pictorial mark with the word mark, allowing brands to use just the icon, just the word mark, or both, depending on the context.

What is the significance of emblem logos in communicating a brand's traditional values?

Emblem logos, often in the form of crests, badges, or seals, are used by brands to promote their traditional values and heritage. They are commonly used by organizations with long-standing traditions.

How do dynamic marks adapt to different branches or segments of a brand?

Dynamic marks are designed to change certain elements like color, text, shape, or icon to adapt to different branches or segments of a brand, allowing for flexibility while maintaining brand consistency.

What is the strategic decision behind using letter marks or monograms?

The strategic decision behind using letter marks or monograms is to communicate simplicity and memorability. They often use the initials of a brand's name, which can become more recognizable than the full name over time.

How can letter forms contribute to a brand's identity?

Letter forms, which are one-letter logos or miniature versions of letter marks, can become the preferred choice of logo use over time as they become more recognized. They can also serve as a complement to an existing logo.

What are the key principles that make a logo memorable and effective?

Memorable and effective logos adhere to principles such as simplicity, attractiveness, distinctiveness, timelessness, relevance, and professionalism. These principles help logos to be easily recognized and remembered.

Outlines

00:00

🔑 Introduction to Brand Logos

Stephen Houraghan introduces the concept of logos as a critical component of brand strategy. He emphasizes the importance of logos in attracting customers and creating an initial appeal that sets the tone for brand expression and experience. The video promises to teach nine types of logos to align with brand strategy. Houraghan explains that while a logo is not the brand itself, it plays a vital role in attracting attention, increasing memorability, and evoking recognition. The video aims to help viewers understand different logo types and how to design a logo that aligns with their brand strategy.

05:03

📚 Types of Logos: Brand Marks and Word Marks

This section discusses two types of logos: Brand Marks (or pictorial marks) and Word Marks. Brand Marks use a graphic symbol or icon to represent a real-world object or the brand's identity, such as Apple's apple or Twitter's bird. These logos are popular with startups for their descriptive nature. Word Marks, on the other hand, use strong typography to express brand identity through the business name, like Coca-Cola or Uber. The choice of typography should align with the brand's strategy and attributes.

10:08

🎨 Abstract, Mascot, and Combination Logos

Abstract logo marks are discussed as logos without recognizable images, often geometric forms that express a brand's uniqueness, like Pepsi or Nike. Mascot logos use illustrated characters to represent a brand, such as KFC's Colonel Sanders, and are effective for brands wanting to communicate a lighthearted approach. Combination marks offer flexibility by combining pictorial marks and word marks, as seen with Lacoste or Burger King, allowing for various uses of the logo in different contexts.

15:12

🏆 Emblem, Dynamic, Letter Marks, and Letter Forms

Emblem logos are traditional crests or badges used by brands like Starbucks or BMW to communicate their heritage. Dynamic marks are adaptable logos for brands with multiple segments, like FedEx or Google. Letter Marks use a brand's initials, such as IBM or HP, often leading to a memorable and simple brand identity. Letter forms are single-letter logos, often becoming the primary logo over time, like Netflix's 'N'. The paragraph concludes with advice on creating memorable logos that are simple, attractive, distinctive, timeless, relevant, and professional.

🛠️ Final Thoughts on Logo Design

The final paragraph reiterates the importance of a well-designed logo in brand strategy. It stresses the need for a logo to be memorable, professional, and scalable across various media. Houraghan advises engaging a professional designer to ensure the logo represents the brand effectively. He also encourages viewers to define their brand strategy before designing a logo and to consider the message they want to convey in the marketplace.

Keywords

💡Brand Strategy

Brand strategy refers to the long-term plan for building a strong brand that connects with consumers. It involves defining the brand's identity, values, and positioning in the market. In the video, brand strategy is central to understanding how a logo should be designed to align with the brand's visual identity and communicate effectively from the first customer touchpoint. The video emphasizes that a logo is a critical part of brand strategy, attracting customers and setting the tone for brand expression.

💡Logo

A logo is a graphic representation or symbol of a company or brand, often used to aid and promote public recognition. The video discusses the importance of logos in attracting attention and increasing brand memorability. It serves as a vital tool in brand recognition and is the first visual element that potential customers interact with, playing a significant role in brand identity.

💡Brand Marks

Brand marks, also known as pictorial marks or logo symbols, are logos made up of a graphic symbol or icon that represents a real-world object or reflects the brand's identity. The video provides examples such as Apple's apple logo and Twitter's bird logo, illustrating how these logos are literal representations of the brand name or what the brand does, helping customers quickly understand the brand's offerings.

💡Word Mark

A word mark logo is a type of logo that uses strong typography to create logos using the business name to express the brand identity. Unlike brand marks, word marks do not have a visual image but instead place the brand name at the forefront. The video mentions brands like Coca-Cola and Uber as examples, emphasizing that the choice of typography must align with the brand's strategy and attributes.

💡Abstract Logo Marks

Abstract logo marks are logos that do not have a recognizable image but are instead made up of abstract geometric forms. These are custom-made for a brand to express its uniqueness. The video points out that while abstract logos offer creativity, they can sometimes be too abstract, missing the opportunity to provide meaning. Examples include Pepsi, Adidas, Nike, and Airbnb.

💡Mascot Logos

Mascot logos are illustrated characters used as visual representations of a brand. These characters can be fictitious or real and often serve as the brand's spokesperson or ambassador. The video explains that mascots can add personality to a brand and are particularly effective for brands that want to communicate a lighthearted approach, such as KFC and Geico.

💡Combination Marks

Combination marks are logos that combine elements of pictorial marks and word marks. They offer flexibility by allowing the use of the visual image and the brand name together or separately. The video highlights that this type of logo provides the best of both worlds, giving brands the option to use just the icon or just the word mark depending on the context, with examples like Lacoste and Burger King.

💡Emblem Logos

Emblem logos are crests, badges, or seals used by brands to promote their traditional values. They are designed by placing fonts and icons to provide unique logos in a traditional-looking form. The video mentions that emblem logos are often used by organizations with long traditions, like Starbucks and BMW, and are suitable for brands wanting to communicate a sense of tradition or high standards.

💡Dynamic Marks

Dynamic mark logos are created in different forms to adapt to different branches or segments of a brand. The video explains that each variation of a dynamic mark has an element that changes, such as color, text, shape, or icon. FedEx and Google are given as examples, showing how these logos can be flexible yet maintain consistency across various markets or segments.

💡Letter Marks

Lettermark logos are created using the letters of a brand's initials. The video discusses how brands like IBM, CNN, and HP are recognized by their initials rather than their full names. Lettermark logos are strategic choices that can make a brand more memorable, but they also run the risk of being less meaningful to consumers who may not understand what the initials represent.

💡Letter Forms

Letter forms are one-letter logos or miniature versions of letter marks, usually the first letter of the company's name. The video mentions that letter forms can become the preferred logo over time as brands become more recognized, such as with Netflix, McDonald's, and Facebook. These logos can increase brand recognition and recall when the brand already has high awareness in the market.

Highlights

A logo plays an important role in attracting customers to a brand and setting the tone for brand expression and experience.

A logo's primary role is to evoke memorability and recognition.

Brand marks or pictorial marks are logos that use a graphic symbol or icon to represent a real-world object or the brand's identity.

Word mark logos use strong typography to express brand identity through the business name.

Abstract logo marks are custom-made geometric forms that express a brand's uniqueness.

Mascot logos use illustrated characters to represent a brand and communicate with the audience.

Combination marks combine the visual aspect of a pictorial mark with the word mark.

Emblem logos are crests, badges, or seals that promote traditional values.

Dynamic marks are logos that adapt to different branches or segments of a brand.

Letter marks or monograms are logos created using the initials of a brand's name.

Letter forms are one-letter logos, often the first letter of the company's name.

Memorable logos are simple, attractive, distinctive, timeless, and relevant to the brand.

A logo should be professional and scalable, looking sharp at every size and on every touch point.

The logo is part of the brand's visual identity and overall brand strategy.

There are no hard and fast rules in logo design, but certain designs portray different attributes.

Define your brand strategy and message before engaging a designer to ensure the logo aligns with your brand's market message.

Transcripts

What's up brand builders Stephen Houraghan here  of BrandMasterAcademy.com and in this video you're  

going to learn 9 types of logos for your brand  strategy so you can align your strategy with  

your visual identity and communicate strategically  from the very first touch point now a logo is one  

of the visual elements within brand strategy that  plays an important role in attracting customers  

to a brand it creates the initial appeal that  sets the tone for how the brand is expressed  

and experienced as the older Dash goes a brand  is not a logo though the logo does play a vital  

role in attracting attention and increasing  the memorability of a brand and evoking that  

memorability and recognition is the primary role  of the logo now look there are no hard and fast  

rules when it comes to the types of logos Brands  can consider when setting out on their branding  

project however choosing the correct type of logo  is important in a pin visually to your audience  

and increasing the chances of being Remembered in  that buying decision great logos tell stories and  

that's why your brand strategy she should be the  foundational pillar on which your logo is designed  

now of course that logo is about that memorability  but where there is an opportunity to align  

strategically with your brand that opportunity  needs to be taken up so in this video we're going  

to consider the different types of logos with  examples and how you can design the right type  

of logo to align with your brand strategy so let's  start off with the different types of logos number  

one brand marks or pictorial marks also known as  logo symbols brand marks are made up of a graphic  

symbol or icon that represents a real world object  and it reflects the Brand's Identity or what the  

brand does so when you see such symbols you can  easily match the logo with the brand that owns  

them and you can start to identify what the brand  actually does through the logo for example Apple's  

logo is an apple while Twitter's logo is a a bird  other examples include Target shell Instagram and  

YouTube as well so it's very literal in the image  that they're representing through the logo and  

what they do now again there are no hard and fast  rules when it comes to creativity and the logo  

can represent the brand name or it can represent  what the brand does so for instance Apple's logo  

literally represents the apple and the brand  name while the YouTube logo depicts a video  

play button and it represents the video service  they provide now these types of logos tend to be  

popular with startups because startups don't have  any awareness out there and they want the market  

to understand as quickly as possible what they do  and these types of logos can be very descriptive  

in telling the market either who the brand is  through the brand name or who the brand is through  

what they do and that visual representation can  help the market to understand what the brand does  

or who they are two examples of Brands using this  type of pictorial Mark are t-shirt elephant and  

metal horse now these logos depict what these  brands do t-shirt elephant obviously it puts  

forward the idea that they are a t-shirt company  and they produce t-shirts while metal horse they  

produce metal artwork so that represents exactly  what they do so it helps the market to understand  

what these brands are all about and it gives them  meaning which is really important for startups and  

brands that don't have a huge amount of awareness  in the marketplace if you are considering using a  

brand marker pictorial Mark for your logo ensure  that there is a direct or abstract alignment to  

the products or services that the brand offers  brand marks are a good choice for brands that  

specialize in one product or service that can be  easily represented by an image or some kind of  

pictorial Mark number two word mark logos now  a word Mark logo is essential actually a type  

based logo brands use strong typography to create  logos that use their business name to express  

their brand identity now the disadvantage of a  wordmark logo is that there isn't some kind of  

visual image to represent what the brand does or  represent the Brand's name but what it lacks in  

that visual representation it makes up for with  the name sitting front and center now there are  

a number of different reasons that Brands might  do this and depending on the style of the brand  

and what they do would depend on the typography  that they choose the typeface that they use for  

a word Mark logo to be effective the choice of  typography and its characteristics must align  

with the strategy and the attributes that the  brand has defined for example a brand that aims  

to celebrate its long-standing Heritage might do  well to consider a more traditional type from a  

relative period now if you can't find a relevant  font or an existing font to align with the look  

and feel that you aim to achieve you can create a  custom typeface which would add to the uniqueness  

of the word Mark examples of brands that use word  marks include Coca-Cola Uber Tiffany and Co Subway  

Kellogg's and eBay number three abstract logo  marks now abstract logo marks are the type of  

pictorial logo that doesn't have a recognizable  image they're usually abstract geometric forms  

that are custom made for a brand to express its  uniqueness now one advantage of this type of  

logo is that it gives Brands enough room to  design and create a logo that showcases and  

communicates their brand personality and their  uniqueness some popular companies using abstract  

logo marks include Pepsi Adidas Nike and Airbnb  now of course alongside the advantage of that  

creativity there is the disadvantage of this type  of logo mark that I can be too abstract and if it  

is too abstract then the main not be any type of  meaning there whatsoever which could be a missed  

opportunity now at the end of the day the job of  the logo is to be memorable but there is also an  

opportunity to create meaning as well so if you  can create an abstract Mark that gives some kind  

of meaning and some kind of creativity about  the uniqueness of the brand then make sure you  

take that opportunity to provide that meaning  alongside the uniqueness and memorability as  

well number four mascot logos now mascot logos are  Illustrated characters as visual representations  

of their brand such characters can be fictitious  or real people that are usually referred to  

as the Brand's spokesperson or Ambassador the  characters use in mascots can be a great tool  

for communicating with the audience and they can  take on this kind of human Persona whether they're  

human characters or their animal characters they  can take on these human personas and actually talk  

the directly to the audience through marketing  campaigns or throughout the brand experience  

examples of Brands using mascot logos include  KFC comparethemarket.com Pringles Geico and  

MailChimp now look mascots are a great way to  add personality to a brand and really embody  

the attributes that the brand sets out within  the brand strategy but only brands that want to  

communicate a lighthearted approach should play in  this space if your brand brings an element of fun  

into the lives your your audience or you simply  want to communicate that you're a lighthearted  

approach within your market then a mascot logo  could work for you number five combination  

marks now combination marks are probably the most  flexible option when we consider what we've looked  

at so far considering that we've looked at the  pictorial or the brand Mark we've looked at the  

word Mark and we've also looked at the abstract  Mark now this combines or gives you the ability to  

combine buying all three of those and that gives  you the best of both worlds because you have the  

visual aspect of the image or the pictorial Mark  and you also have the benefit of the word Mark  

as well now these can be used in combination they  can be stacked differently formed differently but  

it also gives you that flexibility to use just  the icon in some circumstances to use just the  

word Mark in other circumstances and to use the  combination of the two to communicate who you are  

as a brand the brand name and also the potential  meaning of that brand into the marketplace to give  

the audience an understanding of who the brand is  and what it's all about as well examples of Brands  

using the combination mark logos include Lacoste  Burger King Adidas Chanel and Mercedes-Benz number  

six emblem logos now emblems are crests Badges and  seals used by Brands to promote their Traditional  

Values emblem logos are designed by placing fonts  and icons to provide unique logos in a unique or  

traditional looking form famous Brands using  Crest logos include Starbucks Harley-Davidson  

BMW Juventus and Volkswagen so organizations like  schools government agencies sports clubs the Auto  

industry and brands with long Traditions tend to  use this type of logo if you want to communicate  

a sense of tradition or high standard the emblem  logo may be a legitimate option for your brand  

as a bonus tip keep your emblem logo as simple as  possible to avoid clutter remember the primary job  

of the logo is memorability number seven Dynamic  marks now as the name implies Dynamic mark logos  

are created in different forms so that they can  easily adapt to different branches or segments  

of the brand or different sub Brands as well now  for each variation of the dynamic mark an element  

of the low go changes so this might be the color  the text the shape or the icon examples of Brands  

using Dynamic marks are FedEx Google Nickelodeon  and virgin now this type of logo can be a viable  

option for Brands operating across multiple market  segments or multiple markets it's also a viable  

option for a branded house setup where the parent  brand has a brand portfolio and that portfolio of  

Brands is serving different markets such as  FedEx and virgin as an example now although  

Dynamic marks are flexible by Nature it is key to  keep an element of consistency across a board so  

that the logo variations are aligned number eight  letter marks or Monograms now lettermark logos are  

created using the letters of a Brand's initials  think of Brands like International Business  

Machines also known as IBM Cable News Network CN n  Hewlett-Packard HP and Life's good LG now in most  

cases the majority of the market don't know the  real names of the brand and only identify them by  

their initials now you might not know a company  called buyerisha mutoken virga but no doubt you  

know the name BMW I'm sorry to my German friends  listen I absolutely butchered that now obviously  

creating a logo with the original name would  make for a much more difficult challenge than  

creating a logo for BMW and this is the beauty  of this type of logo being able to communicate  

that Simplicity and being able to make the brand  more memorable but obviously this is a strategic  

decision that comes from the very top within the  brand strategy now just a side note on initialism  

it's not always the best option and there are  definitely some other options out there that will  

allow you to provide the market with more meaning  and memorability for your brand as well because  

for the most part most people don't understand  what the letters represent and as I said that  

is a missed opportunity to provide the market with  some kind of meaning as to what the brand does so  

again this is a decision that comes from the very  top within the business and the brand strategy so  

take your time to consider whether initialism  is right for you or your brand and finally we  

have number nine letter forms now letter forms are  one letter logos and miniature versions of letter  

marks the letter in the logo is usually the first  letter of the company's name sometimes companies  

create this type of logo as a complement to an  existing logo and as a supplement or a team player  

in the overall brand identity successful letter  forms however can go on to become the preferred  

choice of logo use over time as it becomes more  recognized examples of Brands using letter forms  

are Netflix McDonald's and Facebook now of course  if you already have a brand that's popular in the  

market and you have some awareness out there you  can create a letter form logo for your brand if  

you're able to take that and make it memorable if  your brand has high levels awareness introducing a  

letter form Mark may help to increase levels of  brand recognition and Recall now one thing that  

sets iconic Brands apart is the memorability and  effectiveness of their logos consider Brands like  

apple McDonald's Twitter Netflix Facebook and even  Toyota each one of these Brands boasts a simple  

and immediately recognizable logo such logos  are often products of a rigorous design process  

though many organically evolve over time memorable  logos with high levels of recognition all adhere  

to these principles simple the simpler your logo  the easier it is to recognize and remember whether  

on a billboard or a bottle cap in this digital  age where people interact with brands on their  

mobile devices logos need to be clear no matter  what the size of the screen someone is viewing  

from number two attractive your logo has to be  visually appealing in a way that easily attracts  

the customer when creating a brand logo be clear  about what your message is and which visuals can  

help you to communicate that message there are  certain emotions and feelings you want to evoke  

and knowing the right shapes sizes colors tones  typography can help you to evoke those feelings  

it needs to be distinctive the job of your logo is  to make your brand easy to remember and recognize  

when stacked alongside competitors and other  non-competing brands as well when creating your  

logo for your brand look to your competitors not  for what you should do but what you shouldn't do  

your logo should be timeless when planning your  logo don't follow Trends what's trendy today will  

look dated in a few years time think long term a  change of logo is synonymous with a major brand  

strategy overhaul so this is not something that  you should do often it certainly shouldn't happen  

often for your brand your logo design should  remain relevant despite emerging Trends and Market  

changes your logo should also be relevant so it  should be relevant to your business and what you  

do the shapes the images and the typefaces used in  the logo should be in line with what the brand is  

about and how that brand wants to be perceived  in the market a relevant logo gives people an  

internal feel of the sense of meaning that brand  represents an understanding of the value of that  

brand and what it could mean in their lives and of  course your logo should be memorable your business  

is just one out of millions of businesses vying  for the attention of your customers and that's  

why you should carefully create a logo that people  can easily recall from their memory and as always  

Simplicity and distinctiveness are the key to  memorability and it goes without saying that your  

logo should look professional in modern markets  today it's easy to go ahead and get a logo for  

five dollars but cutting Corners within business  and branding is not something that's recommended  

and it's certainly not recommended when it is your  very first touch point this is your opportunity to  

make an impression on your audience and if you  undercut this job if you cut corners on this  

job then that's what's going to be representing  your brand so make sure that you take the time to  

engage a professional designer to be able to help  you to design something that is going to be able  

to represent your brand in the way you want to be  perceived in the market your logo should also be  

scalable now logos are used in different media  from mobile ads to billboard ads to car wraps  

bottle caps and everywhere in between the final  Vector of your brand logo needs to look sharp at  

every size and on every single touch point the  logo is a part of your brand visual identity  

and the overall brand strategy and it's usually  the first thing that people see when interacting  

with your brand it only takes a few seconds for  customers to make a judgment about your company  

based on what they've seen so tune up your brand  strategy to create logos that will convey the  

right message about your brand to your target  audience now look when it comes to logo design  

and creativity as I said before there are no rules  but certain designs portray different attributes  

and when you understand the message that you  want to put out in the marketplace then you're  

better prepared to choose a design or a logo form  that is going to best represent you in the market  

so take the time to First Define the strategy  of your brand brand the message that you want  

to put out there into the marketplace and then  engage a designer to work alongside you to make  

sure that you're putting out that message into  the market from the very first touch point now  

if you want to dive deeper into brand strategy  then this video here will help you out before you  

click it if you want to become a master of brand  make sure you hit the like And subscribe to get  

more videos just like this until next time Brian  like a master and I'll see you in the next video